April 27, 2022
Editor: Carolyn Berryman
Artist: Charlottte Lee
Placed on the table before me was The World: “She looks beyond to the past, while the body moves into the future.” Next, The Fool: “Unlimited potential and a lack of commitment,” closely followed by The Lovers and the Wheel of Fortune and the 9 of Swords. One of my best friends, Tobi, lays card after card in front of me and then proceeds to read from her notebook the many possible meanings of each. She points to the 8 of Swords, a slightly disturbing card, since the image shows a woman bound. After having grown up being taught in Church and in Theology classes that Tarot Cards were dangerous, I naively assumed that Tobi was about to tell me that I would be kidnapped in the near future. Instead, she read from her book, “Swords are a symbol of strength and emotion. But the image that accompanies them could mean conflict, crisis, sickness.”
When your Tarot is read, the cards are laid out in a certain order. Tobi used what is called the Celtic Cross. In this way, the placement of each card furthers the meaning of the card. For example, the card on your left is the immediate future, the cards in the middle represent the present and an immediate challenge, and the card on your right is the distant past. Thus, it is up to the interpretation of the individual to determine what the cards are trying to tell them. Tobi commented that the difference in this interpretation often connects to how one views certain aspects of life. For instance, do you think of love as a choice or as something that is uniquely emotional?
While some people today probably use Tarot Cards to worship and try to communicate with the devil, the original creation of the cards was solely for entertainment purposes. During the mid-1400s, French and Italian notability began to commission artists to paint them their own set of cards. Then, once the printing press was created, card decks were mass-produced. It wasn’t until 1791, when Jean-Baptiste Alliette wrote a book about how to use the cards for divination, that Tarot Cards were no longer considered a “parlor trick” and started to be associated with the occult (Wigington).
Today, however, there are many different opinions on the legitimacy of Tarot Cards. The Catholic Church believes that Tarot Cards go against the First Commandment, which says “I am the Lord your God, you shall not have other Gods before me.” By using Tarot Cards, a common narrative is that a person is putting their faith in another divine power, specifically the devil. Personally, I believe that they can be used simply as a tool to prompt you to look at your life in a new way. This is especially since only four card placements have to do with your future — all of the others provide insight to your “hopes and fears” and “external influences.” When Tobi reads my Tarot, I do not believe that the cards will tell me my future or reveal something new about myself. Instead, I view the varied meanings behind each card as a puzzle, and an attempt to figure out how their meanings apply to my life.
The last time Tobi read my Tarot, she let me shuffle through the deck and take out any cards that I thought appeared interesting or wanted to know more about. The meaning of many of the cards was hopeful, from selecting the card that goes along with my zodiac sign (Leo) to a card that predicts “harmonious relationships.” This further reaffirmed my belief that Tarot cards were not dangerous, instead they helped me to view myself in a more positive light.
The following is a list of some of my favorite cards and a few of their meanings:
Strength:
For the Leo zodiac
Channels inner strength to subdue and overcome
Turn something vicious into something docile
I am proud that this is the card that goes along with my zodiac, it is empowering to be reminded of the strength within myself.
The Lovers:
The honeymoon phase
Physical, spiritual, and emotional health
I definitely related to this card. My boyfriend and I had just about been together for two months at the time when I saw this card. I am very much a believer in the honeymoon phase. We made it through because we tried our best to stay emotionally healthy.
Wheel of Fortune:
Inevitable change
Soulmates
Fate, karma, and destiny
It’s scary — change, but I suppose that’s the thing about it, it’s inevitable. However, some of the greatest people I have met in my life were a result of some form of change. It’s never only bad.
The Chariot:
Gains control through strength of will and mind
Brave without success
It really wasn’t until this past year that I began to see success from my hard work. It takes bravery to take risks without the promise of success, but I believed that someday I would be able to see results. Writing for Hopelessly Yellow is the first time that my writing has been read by more than just my close friends and family, I see that as success. Patience is key, as much as I hate waiting.
7 of Cups:
Imagination
Nothing is permanent
Desire and determination
This card serves as a reminder to be grateful for what I have in the present, since it emphasizes impermanence. However, it also urges me to work for what I want to achieve.
Citation -
Wigington, Patti. “Where Did Tarot Cards Come from?” Learn Religions, Learn Religions, 6 June 2018, https://www.learnreligions.com/a-brief-history-of-tarot-2562770.